Tinnitus in combination with a vestibular recruitment
Abstract
Vestibular Stimulus Response Intensity Comparisons (VSRIC) leading to the definition of a vestibular recruitment can be achieved by using intensity graded supraliminal stimuli of two different pairs.
The perrotatory nystagmus results should be compared to the ipsilateral caloric warm responses. Discrepancies in both these tests indicate a vestibular recruitment or other pathology, thus reflecting the dynamics of the pathology concerned.
Only the inhibition of the weaker caloric stimulus with respect to the normal range in comparison to the normal test result of the stronger perrotatory nystagmus holds for a recruitment phenomenon of the peripheral vestibular type.
In case that the weaker stimulus is lying in normal ranges and the stronger stimulus evokes a response pattern of the disinhibited type we are facing a hidden central nystagmus disinhibition.
The third recruitment pattern which is occurring rarely shows a peripheral blockage of the caloric warm response however at the same time an extreme central disinhibitions when applying a rotatory stimulus.
We have investigated these patterns in relation with typical audiometric findings in tinnitus patients. The findings are presented with respect to case reports as well as with statistics.